²²Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

Avoidance may seem like a weak strategy, unless it is accompanied by a strong alternative. Yet, avoidance as the start is the first tactic we need to embrace. We need to protect our weak flank. Every soldier must recognize his own weakness and cover for that. Every Christian must know his areas of weakness. A man in battle must avoid the flailings of his opponent, lest he get knocked out before he can land his first punch.

So a Christian can be derailed from usefulness by failure to resist a chronic temptation. We may try to negotiate with it, reason with it, play around on the edges of it. We can rationalize that Scripture may not specifically prohibit a certain activity, but we know the weakness of our own flesh to the temptation that thing represents. Arguments about our freedoms in Christ notwithstanding, we need to simply flee! No questions asked. Discussion ended.

At the root, what is our ultimate motivation in Christian living? Not to exploit the freedom we have because we live under grace, but to be useful to the Lord. That is living a divine-centered life, not a self-centered life. Paul’s admonishment here is succinct and pointed: flee youthful lusts and live an “adult” spiritual life committed to “righteousness, faith, love and peace.” This is the new norm for us who are saved by God’s grace. All of us.

We stop at this juncture and need to reflect deeply. What characterizes my life? If the deep recesses of my soul were to be revealed for everyone to see, what would be most prominent? Is it the overwhelming struggle with a particular sin that I refuse to address? Is it the obsession with avoiding breaking the rules, which is really a form of legalism? These things color our outward persona more than we realize; they are not so hidden in the recesses as we would like to think.

When people look at you, when they look at me, what overriding character hue is most apparent? Do they see a person passionate about justice, one who deals fairly and honestly with others? Do they observe a person of faith? Of love? Of inward and outward peace? When was the last time I trusted in the Lord for something specific and tangible? Is love a way of life for me, sacrificing for others, putting them and their needs above my own? The real experiment would be to ask someone whether I am characterized by righteousness, faith, love, and peace. That is a sobering challenge!

Lord, help me be humble to receive feedback from others, to see what I cannot.